The Valley

Man Is Arrested After Wife Beaten, Run Over With Van

A Sylmar woman was clinging to life Tuesday after her husband allegedly stabbed, beat and then bludgeoned her with a lead pipe before running over her in the couple's van outside the Tarzana post office, police said.

Sophie Jennie Rodriguez, 38, was rushed to Northridge Hospital Medical Center in critical condition after the attack, which took place about 5:20 a.m. in the 18700 block of Philiprimm Street, LAPD homicide Det. Rick Swanston said.

The victim's husband, Daniel Sada, 53, was arrested at their Sylmar home on suspicion of attempted murder. He was being held at the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley Division jail in lieu of $500,000 bail, and authorities said he will be arraigned Friday in Van Nuys Superior Court.

Witnesses told police they saw Sada, a U.S. Postal Service employee, pull up in his van across the street from the Tarzana post office, Swanston said. Moments later, Sada allegedly pulled a screaming woman from the van.

"She was lying in the street when he produced a pipe and began hitting her with it," Swanston said. "When witnesses yelled to the man to stop, he jumped back in the van and drove west on Philiprimm Street." Police said he turned the van around and allegedly began speeding back toward the post office, "deliberately running over the victim," Swanston said.

Investigators said they traced the van to Sada using a partial license plate number provided by a witness. Postal service spokeswoman Terri Bouffiou said Sada, a 29-year employee, worked at the Santa Clarita mail processing plant.